This invention relates generally to aircraft sensor systems capable of detecting aeroacoustic resonances and disturbances and aero-optic aberrations in a fluid-dynamically active layer of airflow about an aircraft and methods to regularize such aberrations in characterized environments, and more specifically to utilizing such methods and systems with an aircraft for facilitating transmission of a directed energy (laser or microwave) beam from a directed energy device (weapon or communication system).
In at least some known cases, attempts have been made to mount directed energy systems to an aircraft. The aircraft is then used as an airborne platform for the directed energy systems. The directed energy systems are configured to generate a properly-configured-wavefront beam.
In at least some of these known attempts of mounting a directed energy system to an aircraft, the directed energy systems may be housed within turrets that are installed on the exterior of the aircraft with a fairing mounted aft of the turret. However, these known attempts have failed or have produced limited results because of the aero-optic aberrations or disturbances arising from density variations in the air flowing over the aircraft, especially in those cases where the directed energy system is pointed in the aft direction of the aircraft.
Specifically, at least some of these known attempts of transmitting an energy beam from an aircraft have included a directed energy system that directs the energy beam through a forward-looking and partially spherical sector extending between a straight ahead viewing line of the aircraft to about a 90° elevation. At least some other attempts have also included a directed energy system that is capable of directing the energy beam in a rearward direction through a sector extending beyond a 90° elevation. In both of these cases, where the energy beam is directed forwardly and/or rearwardly, results have been very poor due to a degradation of the energy beam. For example, at elevations greater than 90°, local aerodynamic flow separation on an aft face of the turret and fairing generates a turbulent shear layer having variations in air density, which results in variations in an index of refraction of the air, and in variations in the wavefront from its predetermined figure. Such wavefront variations shift portions of the energy beam out of phase with other portions of the beam. When portions of the energy beam are out of phase, the intensity of the beam at the target is significantly degraded. Accordingly, a system and method is needed for detecting the aero-optic aberrations in a shear layer of airflow about an aircraft such that these aberrations can be accounted for during the optical propagation of a directed energy beam from an aircraft.